Operations Director

JR United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in Bedfordshire is seeking a bold Operations Director to drive operational and cultural transformation. This role offers autonomy and a clear path to a future Managing Director position, focusing on continuous improvement and strategic growth.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading operational transformations.
• Expertise in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Leading operations across multiple sites.
• Designing and implementing transformation strategies.
• Championing Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Continuous Improvement

Commercial Acumen

Education

Engineering Background

Job description

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We're looking for a bold, strategic, and hands-on Operations Director who sees challenge as opportunity. Based in Bedfordshire, this is your chance to be at the helm of a major operational and cultural transformation, and if done successfully, it will position you for a future step up to a multi-site Managing Director role.

This is not a role for the faint-hearted. It's for someone who thrives on solving complex problems, breaking silos, and building high-performing teams. You'll be the driving force behind streamlining operations, embedding lean thinking, and creating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Equally, you'll bring commercial acumen to steer the wider business toward growth, profitability, and long-term success.

Responsibilities as the Operations Director include:

1. Leading operations across multiple manufacturing, servicing, or engineering-based sites.
2. Designing and implementing a transformation strategy covering processes and people.
3. Championing methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma to eliminate waste and maximize performance.
4. Collaborating with commercial, finance, and technical teams to align operational goals with business objectives.
5. Building an engaged, agile, high-performance culture.
6. Shaping the company's strategic direction with a view toward future MD succession.

Candidate profile:

• An experienced operations leader with a strong engineering background, preferably from manufacturing or engineering services and repairs.
• Proven track record of leading operational and cultural transformations in demanding environments.
• Expertise in continuous improvement methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma.
• Commercially savvy, with a good understanding of business performance levers and customer expectations.
• Strategic thinker capable of identifying and delivering new commercial opportunities.
• Comfortable leading at scale across functions and multiple locations.
• Results-driven, ownership-focused, with a long-term perspective.
• Financially astute, experienced in managing budgets and P&L.

This role offers autonomy to lead meaningful change, recognition for impact, and a clear path for career progression. If you're eager to shape the future of a transformative business while achieving your personal career goals, this could be the perfect opportunity.